Blind Fate
by Carina1
Summary: Anne Bonnie was twenty when she lost her sight on an ill fated expedition to the Caribbean. Now five years later she's destined to have another mishap with the Caribbean and a not so notorious pirate.
1. Departure

Ann stood at the end of the gangplank, her veiled face turned towards the warmth of the sun that she had never fully been able to feel.  The slightly chilled breeze whipped by her cheeks and she took in a deep breath reveling in the fresh air that filled her lungs.  _Ah to be back on the sea once again.  To experience the adventure of life.  A smile began to curve her rosy lips as she took an impulsive step forward feeling the sturdy wood under her foot._

"Ann!" a harsh voice sounded beside her, "You will wait for Rosemary to guide you.  Honestly we don't need any more of your embarrassing displays."  The harsh voice of her stepmother took on an angry note, "and wipe that outrageous smirk off your face."

Ann having faced this scrutiny for too many years turned her smile up a notch, "No stepmother.  I am finally to be free of you so with what little time we have left together I do not wish to listen or comply to any of your silly demands."

Ann heard a gasp and could just picture her step mother raising a gloved hand to her mouth in shock. 

"After all that I have done for you!  You ungrateful little brat!  How dare you speak to me like that," her stepmother hissed as she grabbed Ann's arm with her boney vice like grip.  "Rosemary!" she snapped, "Hurry over here.  I do not pay you to be lazy."

"Yes Miss," a soft, breathless voice responded as light footsteps approached.  Ann sighed as the expected thin arm of Rosemary, her hand maid, slipped through her own.  Just as Ann was about to protest the aid, a hardy man's voice broke in.

"Ah Ms. Flint! Tis about time ye made it here.  We await your luggage and then once you're safely onboard we'll be castin' off," the man whom Ann could only assume was the captain told them.

"Oh Captain Wood so sorry to be late.  _Problems_ you know," her stepmother spoke.  Ann could just imagine a pointed look thrown her way.  "Of course we are so very grateful to you  for agreeing to take dear Ann at the last moment.  Such a saint you are, a blessing from above!" her stepmother crooned.

"Ah Ms. Flint, Twas nothin'.  Come along mistress Ann and we'll get ye tucked in for the trip," the kind captain wood said as he placed a comforting hand on Ann's shoulder before turning and walking up the gangplank and barking orders to his crew to prepare for cast off.  

"Goodbye my dear Anne! I shall see thee in a few months time, time enough for the wedding!" her stepmother shouted out behind her as Rosemary led Ann up the plank.  

Ann cringed at the barb her dear stepmother's voice stuck in her side.  

_My dear Dan,_ she thought silently, _please forgive me._

Later that evening Ann stifled the urge to scream at Rosemary to shut up as the girl prattled on and on about how lucky was to be marrying Stanley Von Hoff, currently the new plantation owner of one of the largest plots in Barbados._  It wasn't that he wasn't handsome, in fact he was quite the opposite.  The perfect picture of Adonis she had once seen in a painting.  With his chiseled features, luscious looking lips, and his golden hair he was likely to make any girl swoon, a living god from greek myth.  But he was insufferably arrogant and had a bit of a temper.  There was also the aspect of his eyes.  His eyes were a deep brown, almost black and they held a glint of hell, or so that is how Anne thought of him.  She had once heard the quote "The eyes are the windows to the soul."  _

Anne snorted at the thought.  If Stanley's eyes were the windows to his soul then she wondered what the Devil's eyes looked like.  She had to admit, he frightened her a bit.  

Unfortunately he had been Dan's best friend.  And therefore had been on that fateful expedition that tore apart so many lives….so many….._Oh my Dan.._

"Miss…Miss…" an impatient sigh tore through Anne's despair.

"Yes, Rosemary?" she answered in a neutral voice as she ran a hand through her hair.  She imagined it still looked as if she had walked through a windstorm, her brown slightly curly hair all tousled and frizzy.  That was one thing that had always annoyed her stepmother.  The fact that her hair would stay neither straight nor in perfect ringlets.  Dan had loved her hair, tangling and entwining his fingers in it as they stole a kiss in the shadows.

"Tis time for bed, Miss.  Here place your veil on.  Wouldn't want anyone ta see yer face ifin' ye make yer way to the privy," Rosemary told Anne as she placed a sheer looking black fabric to drape over Anne's head. _Or ifin' I'm ta walk in me sleep again, Anne mocked silently.  The veil was held on by the most atrocious pins and combs that stabbed at her scalp incessantly, though Rosemary didn't seem to care as she insisted that Anne looked beautiful and mysterious and discomfort was merely a small price to pay._

Anne just pursed her lips and allowed Rosemary to lead her to the straw mattress bed.  _Yes, of course, wouldn't want anyone to see poor disfigured Anne…Demonic Anne…Blind Annie! She thought bitterly.  The names she'd been called over the past five years.  _

"Now you just rest up, Miss.  Have a good nights sleep," Rosemary told Anne as the girl slipped under the heavy covers.

"Goodnight Rosemary," Anne told her, rolling over so that her back faced the room, her shoulders hunching as she curled up into a fetal position.

Rosemary shook her head in sympathy for her poor charge.  She was lucky that Sir. Von Hoff was offering to marry her.  _Such a generous man to take in a twenty-five year old_ _blind woman with a scarred face and red eyes_.  Then again, he had been on the expedition in which Anne had lost her sight and taken on the appearance of the damned.  So perhaps that tied them together.  The servants whispered about Anne sometimes, that with her red eyes she could summon up the forces of Hell and curse them all.  Rosemary had always told them to be quiet but inside she had always wondered herself if Anne was cursed.  _It matter's not,_ she scolded herself as she prepared to sleep on the cot in the corner,_ Anne is off to marry a wonderful man and start a new life.  Be happy for her._  And in all her naivety Rosemary was happy.


	2. Wild Animal

**Blind Fate**

**Chapter Two**

**By Carina**

Anne's dream started out pleasantly enough.  She loved to dream for it was only then that her eyes were open to the colors of the world. 

_Anne smiled as she basked in the sunlight of the oddly warm English day.  She was in her favorite spot, a huge flat boulder that sat on the side of a hill that led down to the beach on the __North Sea__ below.  And with her was Dan.  _

She smiled in her sleep.  She loved when Dan was in her dreams.  He was alive and healthy in her dreams, not like he had been in the end of his days.

_She spoke something to Dan, and judging from his reaction it had been something off color as he threw back his head and laughed a hearty laugh as he always did when she surprised him with her words.  Her heart gave a painful tug and she suddenly felt the urge to touch him.  She reached a suntanned hand out to brush a lock of hair out of his eyes.  She needed to see his eyes.  _

_A sense of dread stole over her quite suddenly.  The wind picked up as dark clouds were pushed over the sun.  The waves became angry and harsh, pounding against the shore and rocks as if they were taking revenge upon them.  Her hand froze inches from his face.  His head was still tilted back, and normally she would not be able to contain herself from touching some part of him, but now she was afraid.  Afraid that he might bite her like a snake.  _

_His hand suddenly snatched her wrist in a vice like grip.  At her strangled cry he turned his face toward her and she let out a cry of horror.  _

_The creature had Dan's features, his strong nose and jaw, his dark brown hair, and the light scar above his right brow that he'd gotten helping her climb down from an apple tree when a sudden storm came upon them. But his features were now twisted and dark, his eyes cold and merciless.  She'd seen those eyes before…they were __Stanley__'s eyes!  __Stanley__ had taken Dan's place!  _

_"Please…No…"she whispered._

_He laughed cynically and suddenly grabbed hold of her shoulders shaking her like a rag doll._

_"You're mine now! Mine!" And he shook her and shook her and shook her…_

"Miss!  Miss! Oh please Miss ye must wake up!" A familiar voice broke into Anne's dreamlike state.

Anne frowned as the shroud of sleep ascended from her.  Someone was shaking her.

"Miss Anne! Oh please! Pirates!" came a frantic whisper.

Anne brushed off the rest of her sleep as she sat up her hands trailing down the arms over her shaker and she realized once she had reached the face that it was Rosemary.

"Rosemary? Is it morning already?" Anne asked in a tired voice.

"No Miss! It's pirates! Pirates are attacking us!" she cried as she pulled Anne up to a standing position off the bed.

"Here Miss Anne, quick in here! Ye must hide! Hurry now I hear footsteps!" Rosemary strained in a hoarse whisper.

Anne barely had time to gather her wits before she was shoved in one of the big steamer trunks that hadn't been filled with more than an embroidered table cloth and some personal nightgowns for her wedding night.  Anne tried to protest and banged on the steamer trunk lid but Rosemary had locked it.  Frustrated she started to yell out but her shout caught in her throat when she heard the door burst off the hinges.

"'Ey! Lookie what I found 'ere!" came a high pitched voice.

Rosemary let out a shriek and for a few moments all Anne could hear was a sort of scuffle laden with cries of pain from the man and the hysterical shrieks of Rosemary.  Anne thought maybe Rosemary had grabbed something and tried to hit the attacker.  All this ended when a new voice joined the scene. 

"Ahh…thanky Brutus.  Tis a pretty strumpet ye tossed my way," the man chuckled.

"Bah! Ye can have the she devil! She right near took me good eye out!" the first man replied sourly.

"No one'll be havin' 'er though.  You know the Cap'ins orders.  All ships crew an' passengers is being locked in the mess whilst we plunder the ship and take half the food rations"

"Right'o mate.  Though I do wish Jack'd let us have our way wif the women"

"Aye," the newcomer sighed sadly, "But it's not to be.  Come, I'll get this fainting flower to the mess and ye grab up the trunks.  Seem mighty fancy from the looks of them."

Anne's heart stopped for a moment when she heard a grunt and felt the trunk she was in hefted up.  She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from making a sound, and whether from the sensory overload or the lack of oxygen she passed out into oblivion.

When she awoke Anne found herself to be in a sort of box.  Puzzled for a moment she felt around and paused in horror when she remembered the recent events.  She had no idea what to do.  She could hear the men about her, some chattering about the haul, others eager to open bundles, and some three sheets to the wind from drink.  Anne froze in fear.  She had no plan of action.  After all, even if the men didn't open the trunk she was still to be locked in it.  And what could she do if she broke out?  She was in the middle of the ocean on a pirate ship!

"Aww let's at least open us one o' the trunks! Sparrow's takin' forever!" came the voice that Anne recognized to be of the man who had attacked Rosemary.

"Nay! He's the cap'n and we aren't to touch a thing till he graces us wif his presence."

"Ha! Some cap'n! I had me a mighty fine strumpet in me arms I tell ye! An' cause'o cursed rules of his I weren't allo'd to 'ave my fun! I 'ave'nt 'ad a woman's touch in months!"

"As if a woman would willingly touch you!" a raucous voice yelled from the crowd.

"Blasphemy!" cried the insulted voice right before sounds of a fight broke out.

Anne felt her trunk shake and several items fall to the side of it, hitting the ground with a thunk as if a body had been shoved into a pile of booty.

What happened next was certainly not what Anne would have picked as a means of escape from the coffin like box.    

During the fight Anne's trunk which seemed to be stacked upon another was knocked off.  The latch snagged and all the sudden Anne felt fresh air as she tumbled out of the trunk in a heap.

A dead silence settled over the room.  Hardly any soul dared to breathe at the strange sight before them. 

Anne consumed by the trembles fumbled to her feet.  A blackness darker than her blindness threatened to overcome her mind.  How she managed not to faint must have been the grace of God.

Finally the silence was broken by the voice of one man, "'Ey Brutus, looks as if we got ourselves a fine morsal after all!" in fact it was the voice of the second man whom had been in her cabin

"I get 'er first!" Cried out a voice as Anne was seized from behind by thick meaty hands that dug into her shoulders.  Stale breath flushed over her cheek as the man brought his head near her neck and whispered, "Oh..we're gonna have some fun lass," right before wet lips descended on her neck sucking at the soft supple skin as the other men cheered him on, though some called "foul" as they wanted to be the first in line.

That was all it took for Anne to break free of her petrified stupor.  With the shriek of a hunting falcon she started to thrash violently, frantic to get away from her captor.  The man only laughed and moved his iron grip from her shoulders to her waist as he cried out to the men, "Ey mates! Tis a feisty one we have!  I think she's afraid she won't have a good time!"

A small part of Anne's brain had begun to kick her mind into gear pushing aside enough of the terror for her to think rationally.  If she were to be….taken advantage of (for Anne did not want to submit her reality to the word _rape_)..then she would go down fighting. 

She made her body go limp, though she carefully kept most of her weight on her left foot so she was stabilized.

The man laughed, "Awww mates! Look what ye done gone and done! Ye frightened her!.  Now she won't be awake to en-" his statement ended in a horrific cry of pain as Anne brought back her right heel and drove it into his groin.  It produced the desired result other than causing him extreme discomfort and possibly the extinction of his future generations.  He released her immediately and she sprung forward a few steps.

She had no idea what her next move should be but it seemed that it was to be more of her wild cat fighting, for the man shouted at the others to grab the "_bitch"_.

Anne clawed the arms that grabbed her and ripped at her dressing gown, she spit in the direction of voices and stamped on feet when she could, screaming the whole time with the fury of Hades.

At one point a hand grabbed at her hair, catching hold of the veil and hair pins and yanked.  Anne screamed in pain as some of her hair was pulled out in small clumps. She reeled from the dizziness the pain caused but she managed to get ahold of herself and prepare to fight again.  The next attack never came though. 

There had been a collective gasp as the veil was ripped from her head.  Several of the men made the sign of the devil when they saw her blood red eyes with no iris or pupil to speak of and the bubbled scarring that covered the area around her eyes to her temples.

"Demon!" one man shouted.

"She be damned!" another called.

Several men ran out the room.

Taking advantage of their new found fear she shouted at them, "That's right! And I shall curse you all for what you have tried to do!  Nay! I shall kill you worthless cretins!"

They took this to heart and instead of them abandoning her in the store room they all took in the hearty suggestion shouted by a member of the mob.

"Kill it!"

With angry cries and shouts they advanced on her intent on killing the spirit before them.  Anne staggered backwards thinking that perhaps she had been too rash with her threat.  Her back came into contact with a beam and the shock of hitting a hard object allowed her to narrowly miss a knife which stuck into the wall beside her face.  She heard a man fall in front of her and took advantage of the heavy presence before her to kick him in the face before skirting along the wall feeling her way as best she could all whilst blocking out the cries of the mob and the furry of action as they each tried to be the first to kill her or shove another man to be the first to take a stab at her.  Just when she thought she was cornered a new voice broke out, somehow cutting through the noise of the crowd.

"Come, come now mates! What's all this ruckus?!" the voice asked lazily, though there was a hint of the steely power that sat under the calm tone.

It seemed not even the ship creaked in the silence that followed.  Only the new voice dared to break it with his patient steps that echoed as he made his way across the floor boards. 

All the adrenaline left Anne as the steps neared.  Her legs folded beneath her and she sagged against the corner covering her head with her arms to ward off any attack this newcomer might bring.  Her trembles came back full force and her breathing became ragged.  She was dangerously close to becoming a fainting flower herself when the soothing voice spoke from above her.

"Well Lass it looks as if you're in a spot you are-n't supposed to be in," the voice paused waiting for a reaction.  When he got nothing but the trembles and a slight wimper she heard him crouch down and suddenly he was resting a light hand upon her shoulder, "Now Lass, let's stop these shakes.  It is not my means to harm you.  Come let's stand up and have a looksee at you." 

The voice was so soothing and so commanding at the same time that Anne felt as if she weren't in possession of her body as she hesitantly climbed to her feet and turned her face to the voice.

To his credit she heard no curse or sharp intake of breath, but merely a thoughtful, "Hmmm. Very interesting.  Interesting indeed."

An uncomfortable silence followed, well it was uncomfortable to all except the voice as he seemed to be in control of the aura that surrounded the room.

Finally he spoke, "Well Miss…Beg your pardon but I haven't asked your name.  Please do me the honor of gracing me with it."

Anne slightly rattled at this opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a squeak.  Clearing her throat she spoke quietly, "Tis Anne."

"Ah! Righty then!" the voice spoke and Anne thought there must be a smile on the voice's lips.

"Well mistress Anne.  I must apologize for the deplorable behavior," this part was directed to the audience before moving back to Anne, " of the scallywags that are the makings of my crew.  That is certainly no welcome for such a fine lady.  Allow me to welcome you formally.  My name is Captain Jack Sparrow and I'd like to welcome you to the infamous Black Pearl," he said with a flourish and Anne started as he took her hand and brushed his lips across her soft skin.

Anne felt it necessary to speak after such a presentation, but she kept the pleasantries blunt, "When shall you be taking me back?" she questioned, though whether it was back to the ship or back to port remained to be seen.

"Back?" Captain Sparrow laughed, "Why Lass, you shan't be going back anywhere."

Anne felt all the dread of the earlier actions of the evening wash over her and all she could do was stutter, "But…but…you can't!"

The Captain placed an arm around her shoulders, "It's nothing personal lass but by now your ship is halfway back to the port where it made from which means it's also asight of the Royal Navy, so if'in we were to take you back to the ship we'd most certainly have a skirmish, and to tell you, Love, I'm a wee bit tired so a skirmish is not in the foreseeable future.  And really, if we were take you back to port…well that's just not a smart idea now is it?"

Anne felt betrayed.   Betrayed by his kind nature, betrayed by his charismatic mannerisms, and betrayed by herself.  She was livid with the fact that she had allowed herself to be driven into a false sense of security and hope that she would see home again. 

Being so close to Captain Sparrow, for he still had his arm about her shoulders, she felt an object protruding into her.  Upon further inspection with discreet fingers she found it to be the hilt of some object, most likely a weapon.  This all happened within a manner of seconds as Jack finished his speech and without warning she pulled the weapon out of it's sheath, turned outwards from the arm and took a swipe at him shrieking her fury at all the injustice done to her.

Unfortunately the weapon appeared to be a small dagger that didn't quite reach Jack who quickly grabbed her wrist and twisted it until she was forced to unwrap her death grip from the hilt of the dagger.

"Now missy that wasn't nice of you," he said in amused and patronizing tone.

That was all it took for Anne to go wild.  She grabbed at him with her free hand, yelling and spitting, kicking and slapping, anything to hurt him.  The civilized Anne was gone.  In place was a feral animal as angry as the six shades of hell. 

The audience let out cries of surprise and amazement, while Jack made a few grunts as he got his wits about him and avoided the claws of this she demon.  In one swift move he swept her feet out from under her letting her fall to the floor where she hit her head with a sound thonk. 

The last words she heard were, "Can't have that now can we," before her already dark world went even darker.

**A/N: I do so hope you enjoyed!  Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon.**


	3. A Lifetime of Ups and Downs

**Blind Fate**

**Chapter Three**

**By: Carina**

When Anne awoke it was with a horrendous pounding in her skull and an overwhelming sense of disorientation.  Being blind Anne had always made it a point in the last five years to know where she was before she fell asleep.  On the rare occasions she hadn't made herself check she'd awoken with a fear of being trapped in a place that she couldn't escape.  This time the fear was threefold as she was almost positive she _was_ trapped and she _couldn't _escape it.  Panic and hysteria started to bubble forth in her chest and into her throat but she made herself swallow it back and take many deep breaths. 

After a great many of these deep calming breaths she still felt panicked, but she was more in control of herself.  She forced herself to think.  She needed to do something.  She needed to find out if she was hurt and where she was first and foremost.  Feeling better that she had a plan of action she opened up her other senses. 

She was lying on her back on the very hard and uncomfortable floor?

_No that's not right,_ she thought as she felt with her hand along the wood and finally to the space beside her and down.

She was on a bench! A bench attached to the wall! 

She gave herself a score on the mental tally of herself verse the pirates.

Gingerly she sat up and sure enough her bare feet came in contact with the ship's floor boards.  And she was still on the ship for she could feel the gentle swells of the sea.  Carefully she moved all her limbs and checked to be sure her clothes, especially her undergarments where as they should be.  Except for her dressing gown being torn everything was in working order.  Her wrist hurt from when Sparrow had twisted it and of course her head pounded from where it had connected with the floor.  She brought her fingers back to examine the back of her head and winced.  She certainly had one big goose egg as Rosemary would say.  Thinking of Rosemary made Anne's heart ache for the good natured cheer of her hand servant.  She hoped the merchant ship had made it back to port safely and that Rosemary was okay and not too hysterical. Anne pushed her thoughts back to the situation at hand.

She took her fingers and traced them along the back end of the bench with the wall until the bench stopped.  Standing she made her way over to where her hand was, feeling along with her other hand so she wouldn't hit the corner of the bench.  Once there she started walking along the wall and counting her paces.  After five paces she came into contact with iron bars.  Iron bars that crossed each other to form a cage.  Well at least she knew where she was now; she was in the brig.

It didn't seem fair to Anne.  Brigs were for criminals.  But out on the ocean this reality was not so.  It seemed the criminals ran free and the innocents where imprisoned.

_There are worse places to be, _Anne tried to consol herself.  And she was right she realized.  She could have been tossed down to Davey Jones or chained to a bed for the men to-..Again Anne forced herself to not consider that word.

Sometimes she wished her father hadn't taught her the ways of the world and that he had let he be the naïve little waif women were supposed to be.  But he hadn't.  He'd insisted he accompany her on all his trips to the brothels of town to check up on his patients and that she learn all sides of human nature.  Anne's mother had died when Anne was five and out with her father buying a present for her mother.  Anne's mother had been a wonderful sweet woman with soft brown hair and a beautiful smile.  She was smart in the ways of Latin poetry and stitching, she just wasn't very smart when it came to people.  She thought every man a gentleman and every woman a lady refusing to see the deceitful side of even the noblest of "ladies". 

On that fateful day twenty years ago, whilst five year old Anne had been out with her twenty four year old father, Loraine Margarite Bonnie, age twenty, opened the door on a traveling salesman who inquired about directions to a destination in town.  Loraine had tried to explain them to him but the poor man had been so confused and turned around that she had invited him into the foyer telling him she'd draw him a map.  She had her back turned to him at the small writing desk in the foyer that her husband left notes on when he went out, so she didn't see the attack until it was too late. That fateful day twenty years ago Loraine Margarite Bonnie, age twenty, was raped and brutally murdered in her own home.   

When Anne and her father returned home, her father immediately noticed something amiss at the sight of the strewn furniture and spilled ink in the foyer.  He ordered Anne to wait out on the steps and started to dash around the large yet modest town home.  Anne reverently holding the cloth wrapped glass cat she'd gotten her mother thought it funny that her mommy had knocked over the furniture and spilled the ink.  Anne was also thinking her mommy wouldn't get a time out where as Anne would if she'd made such a mess.  She was getting impatient when a cry of horror from her father sounded from the open window upstairs.  Anne dropped the parcel where it shattered on the stairs and raced inside wondering what was wrong.  She made her way up the grand curving stair case where paintings had fallen and down the hallway to her parent's bedroom.  She pushed open the door and gasped at the site before her.

The crème rug and white sheets where painted red.  Even the sheer white curtains which were flapping in the morning breeze were spattered with the red. 

_Why would mommy paint the cloth?_ Anne thought, her young mind trying to comprehend the sight before her. 

Her father heard Anne's gasp and shouted at Anne to get away.  She gaped at him, uncomprehending the situation.  Her father was on the bed cradling her naked mother to him, though there was so much paint covering her and parts seemed to be missing that Anne wasn't sure it was her mother at all.  Her father shouted at her again only this time he told her to run to Mrs. Laverie's house and tell her to summon the guardsmen to Anne's house and that Anne was to stay with Mrs. Laverie until he came to get her.  Anne wasn't certain quite what to do so when she hesitated, her father yelled, "Anne, now!"  That was the only time she could remember her father yelling at her.

The next few weeks were a blur as Anne was told her mother had gone to see the Lord, as an investigation was launched for the brutal murderer of Madam Bonnie, as funeral preparations were made and carried out, and as finally the criminal was caught and hung at a very public, very advertised, execution. 

The Bonnies were a prominent family in town but liked by all.  Though they had money they didn't flash it about nor did they speak down to others.  Almost everyone loved Loraine and her kind nature.  She was the type of woman who would take care of the lonely old spinster when she was sick, making sure her house was kept clean and tidy and that the lady was brought back to health.  She was the type of woman who would make food for families that were having hard times or were down on their luck.  She was the type of woman that was prey to monsters such as Jim Conners. 

The story of Loraine's murder was pieced together after another man caught Conners trying to attack his wife.  The wife told the guard that he'd said he was lost and needed a map, and then he'd tried to attack her.  She was lucky her husband had forgotten his umbrella or her fate would have been the same as Loraine's.

Conner admitted to three other of the same type of murders while he was being "interrogated" and was sentenced to swing at the neck. 

After the funeral and execution Anne was sent to live with her Aunt in Wales.  While Anne had fun with her cousins she missed her father.  She wasn't savvy to what death meant, though she knew people who "died" went to heaven, and she had seen her mother buried in the church cemetery so through the strange process of acceptance a child possesses, Anne knew she'd never see her mother again and while she was sad it was a sadness that wasn't as bad as the one of missing her father.  After five months her father came to visit looking ten years older and worse for the wear.  At the first hug Anne burst into tears telling him she was sorry she broke mummy's present and that she hadn't listened to him and she'd never ever do it again if he'd just take her back home.  Anne had decided her father was angry at her for these things and that he'd sent her away because he no longer loved her. 

Hearing Anne's sobs, Anne's father had held back his own tears as he'd clutched Anne to him promising that he'd never leave her and that he wasn't angry at her.  They left that night and her father kept his word.

What Anne would come to learn in later years from friends was that her father had not sent her away because he no longer loved her; it was quite the opposite in fact.  Her father had gone into a whirlwind downward spiral of depression that he didn't want Anne to see.  During those five months he stopped his newly begun physician practice and began to drink heavily.  He became the man at the taverns who was the first to arrive and the last to leave.  Gregory Bonnie, always a well groomed man stopped taking care of himself.  He was scraggily looking with long finger nails and unclean teeth.  He began to haunt the cemetery crying and shrieking through the night over his wife's grave. 

His friends and acquaintances began to slip away thinking it was a shame that a fine man such as Gregory Bonnie had gone mad.  After four months of this way of life, Charles Shire, the only friend Gregory Bonnie had left, stomped into one of the local taverns at around midnight and soundly smacked Gregory across the face.  Charles then dragged his lifelong friend to his house and forced him to look in his mirror.  He told Gregory that he had better straighten himself out because he still had a daughter whom loved him very much and needed him to be her father.  That night Gregory finally let his wife go and moved on with his own life.

For the next month, with the help of his friend Charles, he began to repair his relationships with old friends.  He started his business again and cleaned himself up.  He even cut his drinking back.  Though he no longer went to the taverns he allowed himself to have a drink of diluted wine each night.  He made sure his finances were in order as well as the household and when he felt he was ready he arranged to visit Anne.

After the visit he brought Anne home and began to raise her as a single father.  He opened his practice to the slums of the city, usually working for free with the poor and for a good fee for the rich.  Anne learned to play with street children in the mornings and evenings and have lessons with tutors and other fine children in the afternoons.  Her father taught her about human nature as gently as he could and she saw things that no other young girls would ever see especially when her father would be called to emergencies in the slums which usually involved rape.  When Anne was eight he began to take trips to different countries in the Caribbean, Africa and even the Americas to research different medicines and healing practices.  His wealth grew as did his knowledge and prominence in England.  He never worried about Anne's lessons and her vast knowledge.  He knew she was a bright girl and encouraged her to read as much as she wanted.  She was his assistant in his medical works and in later years she would even go visit patients herself.  It was only when Anne was about thirteen, the age when girls shouldn't be playing in the mud with boys anymore and the age when boys and girls begin to notice each other that the comments started on his rearing habits of Anne.  Charles told him not to worry though he did cautiously suggest that Anne needed a female role model in her life to teach her the feminine ways of courtship and wifery.  So Gregory, perhaps too rashly, married one of the current women who were chasing him.  She just happened to be one of Loraine's distant cousins and Anne suspected this was one reason her father chosen Isabelle Trent to marry; in his subconscious he thought that perhaps Isabelle would be like his wonderful Loraine. 

She was dreadful, though she kept her dark side hidden from her husband.  She was recently widowed herself and had her own daughter who was Anne's age.  Marie, her stepsister was an absolute witch.  Isabelle convinced Anne's father that Anne should attend finishing school with her dear Marie and her father reluctantly agreed.  While Anne found dressing up in pretty clothes and makeup fun, she found the table setting lessons and wifery lessons a dull.  It would have been better had she gone through it with a friend but Marie made sure the other girls excluded Anne.  Anne knew too much, she thought she was equal to a boy, and she found trying to catch the attention to a man ridiculous.  So for two years of finishing school Anne was an outcast and miserable.  Then when she was fifteen she returned home and begged her father to allow her to work with him.  Much to the dismay of her stepmother her father agreed though there were conditions.  Anne had to attend stuffy dinner parties and balls that her stepmother wanted her to go to if she wanted to travel with her father.  It seemed a good arrangement.

At one of these parties Charles' son Daniel came home after graduating from Oxford.  Anne never one to make eyes at a boy immediately found herself taken with Daniel who told her to call him Dan.  He was winsome, handsome and kind.  He also admired Anne's knowledge and they would often spend evenings playing chess or having deep discussions over politics, medicine, and philosophy.  Dan had come back home to study with Anne's father because he wanted to work in medicine.  Dan also brought back his best friend, Stanley Von Hoff to study with his own father.  Dan's father was a wealthy ship merchant and captain, one of the best in the city.  Stanley was to learn the trade with Dan's father.  Charles, Dan, Stanley, Anne, and Gregory (sometimes Isabelle and Marie too) would often go on one of her father's expeditions together because the two occupations of medicine and sea faring intermingled.

There was an awkward moment between Stanley and Anne when he tried to court her.  Anne had none of it and gently told him so with a light joke which was her way.  Immediately after her refusal of Stanley, Anne started to pursue Dan, much to the amusement of Charles and Gregory and the appallment of Isabelle and Marie.  When Anne was almost seventeen she shared her first kiss ever with a shocked Dan who was three years older than her.  After that it was he who courted her and when she was almost nineteen they announced their engagement at one of the largest and most entertaining parties the town had ever seen.  It was at this time that Stanley showed up with his own flower whose name was Maryanne.  She was much shyer than Anne but sharp as a tack.  The two became fast friends and Maryanne often accompanied Stanley on the group's trips. 

Then a month before Anne's twentieth birthday and a year before her wedding day (her father though he was pleased with Anne's engagement couldn't quite bring himself to give her away at the age of nineteen so he made her promise to wait two years to marry Dan so he could get used to the idea of his daughter being a woman.  Anne and Dan had laughed at her father and happily agreed.) that her father decided to sail to the Caribbean in search of a mythical island which was said to hold many cures for horrid illnesses.  Isabelle refused to go and thought Anne should stay too to prepare for her wedding.  Anne said no fore she wanted to go with Dan.  Marie said everyone thought she was a harlot but that wasn't true.  Marie was just jealous because her own engagement had ended when her fiancée jilted her for another.  Perhaps Anne should have stayed home.  Perhaps her father should have stayed and not tried to find that ill fated island.  This expedition was the last time she ever saw her friends, family and beloved.  It was the last time she ever saw again.

Anne came out of her stupor and ran her fingers over the iron bars turning at a right angle to count the paces of the wall.  She found the cell to be five paces by seven paces.  In the last corner she discovered what must be the privy for prisoners.  The iron bars folded in and covered a box or a bucket she thought because she didn't want to touch it.  The stench was almost more than she could handle.  Anne had to give Captain Sparrow his mark though because not many captains would consider that prisoners might use human excrement for projectiles.  Not many captains would be considerate enough to provide prisoners a privy at all. 

Anne made her way over to the bench and sagged against the wall.  She was suddenly tired and she vaguely wondered if she might have a concussion.  Anne decided she might as well take a nap; after all, what else was she going to do? Go horseback riding?

She thought that if she woke up she would devise her next plan of action.  She was going to get out of this cell and off this pirate ship if it was the last thing she ever did.

**A/N:  Well guys you made me do it and I don't know how!  I got my itch to write and cranked all this chapter out in one day while I was at work.  I have to thank you.  Usually I get a story rolling and get stuck at parts as you can see with my other Tamora Pierce works.  So thank you!**

**Also some people have asked me the time in accordance to the movie.  I'm setting this a year after the movie, so Jack has had his ship for a year.  You'll find out who's on his crew later.  **


	4. Musings of a Captain

**Blind Fate**

**Chapter Three**

**By: Carina**

**A/N: the line "plays his cards close to his chest" is from POC…Enjoy! **

Jack sat in his Captains quarters deep in concentration. His eyes were focused out the window at the rising moon, his booted feet resting upon the table which was covered in various parchments and nautical devices; his shirt was left open to allow the cool night air to caress his warm body. Coming out of his thoughts he swirled the bit of brandy he had left around in his glass and downed it in a smooth swallow.

Rum was his usual drink but he felt the need for brandy tonight. Brandy was a stiff drink that always gave a sound trollop to the system. Jack needed the trollop tonight. He exhaled a long breath as he brought his arms behind his head and leaned back in his chair. He needed to decide what to do with this Anne, and fast.

He was in a pickle, he was. If he'd had Anna Maria on board the situation might have been better, but alas she was out on her own side venture somewhere near Central America. Perhaps he shouldn't have followed the snippet of tale he'd heard about treasure on the shores of Northern Ireland.

_Nah.._ Jack thought with a smile. The journey had been well worth it. Jack had a knack for coming across great treasure of mythical proportions. He had the craziest ideas that always seemed to pan out for better or worse. This journey had been a bit for the worst but he'd still come out of it with a hoard of jade items.

He'd been in an obscure tavern off the coast of Beijing having finished up some business with the scourges of the Asian sea coast when he overheard a trinket of conversation about a lost China seaman who had been chartered to carry a load of rare jade to the king of England. His ship was blown off course and he was lost at sea, only the remains of his ship and a few personal belongings washing ashore a long stretch of lonely beach in a land called "Ire-Land". So Jack had finagled himself a map of the Chinaman's journey and had managed to talk his widow out of the man's private sea journal that had been returned to her along with a scrap of boat.

He gathered himself a crew of twenty men plus his usuals and had just rounded the African Horn when his crew mates talked him into raiding a merchant vessel just launched from an African port. Jack had been bored with the lack of adventure so he had agreed.

Jack had rules that he made certain were followed without ever having to use brute force to make sure his crew stayed in line. He didn't allow senseless killing when pilfering another ship and he didn't allow rape of women on raids. Jack wasn't out to make people's lives miserable…well not intentionally by brutal attacks. He was out for the adventure of life, the chase of treasure, and the hunt of the mythical.

So the crew had raided and pilfered the ship which turned out to be the British Royal Navy disguised as a merchant ship that was trying to capture pirates. Jack got the best of them with a few casualties and as his crewmates were locking the navymen in the ship's hold one of the sailors fell to his knees and begged Jack to take him aboard. Jack, knowing the hardships sailors suffered under Navy Captains and being short a crew mate, agreed.

Brutus Fleshing was an ogre of a man both in personality and looks. Jack had made extra certain that Gibbs, Cotton, and Tyke kept an eye on him. The first sign that queued Jack on to Fleshing's character was the lecherous glances he cast upon Anna Maria. This was one reason that when Anna Maria mentioned a side trip she wanted to make with a pirate crew off the coast of Africa to Central America that Jack had readily encouraged her. He was used to the crew giving his female appointments looks after having been to sea for many months without the comfort of a woman but none dared to try anything or even cast glances for long. Not with Jack around. Fleshing was different. He would be cunning (or perhaps stupid) enough to try something with Anna Maria and Jack simply didn't have the time or trustworthy man power to keep an eye on her.

Jack hoped he could reach Tortuga before Fleshing became more of a bother. The man was always trying to jolly up to Jack and take Gibbs' place as first mate. Jack trusted no one, even Gibbs, as he was prone to bouts of drunken sleep when he was on watch in the crow's nest. Ever since Barbossa's mutiny Jack played his cards close to his chest. Mutiny had been an awful experience and wasn't one he cared to repeat. He would never admit it but in his sleep dark dreams came in which he was trapped on the familiar godforsaken island watching the Pearl sail away. Only this time….this time it was a barren hostile environment with no cache of rum, with no signs that life having ever walked the hot sands, and with no pistol.

Mutiny was another reason Jack feared…no feared wasn't the right word...it was more like he spent needless energy on, Brutus than he should have. Jack was certain that if there were to be stirrings of a mutiny Brutus would be at the head of the pack. He was just the sort of slimy under bellied turncoat that would do such a thing.

Brutus was also the ruffian who'd started the whole mess in the store room with Anne. Jack knew sooner or later he'd have a situation on his hands with Brutus demanding Anne's usage as a servant amongst the ship, which Jack knew would end badly for the girl. He also knew if he didn't get rid of her a mutiny would be at hand because Brutus could cause trouble by spreading rumors that Jack wanted the girl for himself.

The problem was Jack couldn't get rid of the girl. The red eyes had triggered a memory that danced just out of his grasp. He knew the tingle of the memory though, it was the tingle of adventure, of mystery, of myths. And this is what led Jack to his current state of contemplation with the glass of brandy. He needed to find a way to make this memory surface. Trouble was Jack couldn't remember for the life of him where he would be able to find this particular trinket of information that would jog his brilliant mind. It could be in any of the numerous Captains' logs or sailors' journals he always took when raiding ships. Or it could be trapped in the many fairy tales, ghost stories, or rumors he had read or heard about. No matter what Jack had to keep the girl at all costs; fore great things might come from her usage.

Jack's contemplation was interrupted by an insistent thundering on his door. Swinging to his feet he stepped to the door and pulled it open taking in the sight before him.

"Cooksie…? I know you love food but honestly, there's no need to wear it," Jack quipped.

Before him stood a tall thin reed of a man, straight as a rail, with an eye patch and a carved mahogany peg leg. He was dressed in a dark red velveteen overcoat with dark black slacks and a riding boot. He also appeared to be wearing this evening's stew.

Cooksie used to be a Royal Taste Tester and part time cook before he was cast out onto the streets because a duke choked on a fig. The story made not much sense, but then again the actions of nobles rarely did, but either way Jack hired him to be the Pearl's cook. A fine ship deserved a fine cook; and, Cooksie was a fine cook indeed. Usually one to inhabit the dry British humor Cookisie seemed to be on the brink of blowing his top off; meaning he was especially stiff straight tonight and his normally pursed lips were overly puckered.

"Captain Sparrow, that _girl_ in the brig is like having a bull in a potterman's shop. If you want her to eat I gladly offer _you_ the task of finding a man to give the prisoner daily rations."

And with that Cooksie turned on his peg leg and marched off.

No one other than Cooksie (or perhaps Elizabeth and Will when they visited) would dare speak to Jack like that. Cooksie was of a different cloth though. The same cloth that Cooksie was made of was the one Jack was cut from; the cloth of proper upbringing but of second class citizenship which often went hand in hand with Fate's cruel unfair dealings.

Jack had himself a good chuckle as he set his brandy glass aside and hummed a bit on his way down to the brig. As he approached the prison hold he quieted his steps and ceased his humming wishing to have the element of surprise on his captured bird.

Jack leaned against the doorjamb of the hold and watched the girl as she lay upon the bench. He stayed that way for a few minutes, just observing the creature before him. He was startled when the silence was broken by her impatient sighing.

"Really, if you want to sneak up on a body you shouldn't come a-stomping about like an elephant. Now speak up and reveal yourself!" Anne spoke raising herself to a sitting position.

Jack was a bit annoyed that he hadn't the element of surprise, but he brushed the annoyance off as he applauded his prisoner, taking slow, deliberate steps towards the holding cell.

"Well played, Lass. Very well played," he said.

"If it isn't Captain _Sparrow,"_ she spat back like a curse, swiftly getting to her feet and gliding to the front of the cell stopping mere inches from the bars, gazing at the direction of his voice unwaveringly.

He was unnerved by the girl's gaze. For a moment he wondered if she were really blind as those blood red eyes bore into his. A slow smile crept across his lips as he realized her game.

_She's a smart one, _he thought.

He laughed, patronizing her when he spoke.

"Lass…you can not intimidate me…I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. I am ashamed to say that my crewmen might have found your game threatening," he stepped closer to the cell, leaning his hands on it and bringing his face near to the bars so that he knew she could feel his warm breath, "but I like to fancy myself smarter than them. You can't scare me with your funny, little, devil eyes," he finished with a soft chuckle.

Anne gave him a frustrated cry and struck the bars with her fists, "You're a horrid, horrid, wretched excuse for a human being! I demand you take me back! You let me go!"

Jack waited patiently for Anne to finish her tantrum.

"Lass, I don't take orders well, especially from guests aboard the Pearl," he goaded her with a humorous smirk that was well evident in his tone.

"Guest?!!" she shrieked, "I am no guest! I was taken here against my will! If that doesn't qualify as a prisoner then I'd hate to see what your prisoners have to endure!"

Again he chuckled. The girl really was quite amusing. He reached through the bars and tapped her nose with his finger, "We don't take live prisoners, Lass."

Anne recoiled at his touch as if she'd been bitten by a viper.

"Get away from me you treacherous snake! I refuse to be in the presence of you or your vile crew!" she shrieked.

"And who are you to be demanding me about.? Are you a queen? A princess perhaps? Or mayhap a whore?" Jack asked cheekily, "Tell me Lass, what is your powerful name that should make me bend to your will?"

Anne let out a huff as she snapped, "Anne Catherine Bonnie!"

A small silence followed before Jack grinned and said cheekily, "Why thank you Lass. That shall be all. My crew and I shall leave you to your own accord."

Chuckling he turned and walked out, leaving a raging Anne shrieking in the hold.

**A/N: I hope you liked it! I shall try to get another one out soon.**


	5. Alone in the Dark

**Well guys here's**** another chapter! Someone asked when this takes place in accordance to the movie. This story is set about a year after the movie. Jack's had a whole year to have some wicked adventures and build up a reputable name for himself along with a regular crew.**

**It's funny, when I included the Greek/Roman mythology references I didn't mean anything by it, I was just in Latin class at the time and had things running about in my head….but now…it's an interesting idea…and who knows….I like the cliché line "Etu Brute?"**

**Well I hope ya'll enjoy and thanks for helping me keep motivated to continue my stories.**

**Blind Fate**

**Chapter 5**

**Alone in the Dark**

**By: Carina**

Oh how Anne raged after Captain Sparrow left. She called him every vile name and curse she could think of. And when she ran out of English words she cursed him in French, then Portuguese, a bit of German, and finally Latin. And when her voice became hoarse she chucked her empty dinner bowl at the bars.

Anne was annoyed she hadn't been able to bend Jack Sparrow to her will. He hadn't been intimidated by her game and that is what irked Anne the most.

In the past few years Anne had learned how to get things she wanted. She would simply turn her head in the direction of the voice and stand there silently with her demonic looking eyes. It usually got her what she wanted because many thought she was cursed or a demon who might cast a spell on them.

_But no! Jack Sparrow couldn't be one of those superstitious nit wits!_ She thought sarcastically.

After a bit of thinking she decided perhaps it was time to be civil to the captain. He seemed to be a cut above the usual ruffian education, so mayhap he didn't want to talk to her when she raged.

_Very well then,_ she thought coming to a decision. She would wait patiently for Jack Sparrow to come and speak with her tomorrow, and if he didn't come she would politely ask the person who brought her food to summon him.

_Yes, very good plan Anne_, she praised herself before settling down on the bench once more for a nap.

When Anne awoke (whether it was the next day or night she did not know) she patiently began her wait.

She waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

After listening for any sound of human movement she carefully used the privy and then went back to her waiting.

She waited while pacing.

She waited while humming.

She waited while pacing and humming.

She waited while braiding small strands of her hair and then unbraiding them.

She waited while taking various cat naps.

Then after a long period of sleep she awoke and used the privy again.

Anne began to think something funny was going on. Surely it had been at least a day, or at least time for someone to come check on her, even if it wasn't for a meal.

Her stomach growled and suddenly she wished she hadn't thrown her soup at the person who'd brought it to her the other day, or at least she assumed it was the other day.

_Well two can play the silent treatment game,_ she thought.

And so she waited for what she assumed was another two days.

On the third day she awoke to find a bucket of fresh water with a ladle in one corner. She was so furious that she'd missed the person who'd brought it that she almost dumped it over in frustration and outrage, but she stopped herself at the last second.

_What if this is the only water I get?_

_What if they keep me down here forever?_

_What if no one comes to talk to me ever again?_

_Am I deaf?!_

Anne, in a panic, stamped her foot to reassure herself that she could still hear. But then she had an awful thought that perhaps she was just making the noise up in her head. She quickly rushed over to the bench and laid her ear against the wall of the ship.

No she wasn't deaf. She could still hear the creaking of the ship and vaguely the sound of waves.

Suddenly Anne couldn't stand the waiting anymore. She just wanted to hear another human voice. She didn't care if it were that scallywag of a pirate captain. She couldn't take the lack of audible stimulation.

Hysterical and angry she started her shouting again.

"Let me out of here!"

"You come talk to me you coward of a sea captain!"

"You're horrid! All of you!"

"Your black Pearl has a leak! You're raft is a sorry excuse for a ship!"

She beat her fists on the bars and when her fists were sore she took her empty bowl and raked it across the bars.

For days on end she did this, only stopping when she fell, exhausted, on her bench and slept.

Finally after days and days of this behavior she broke. She leaned against the bars, two stray tears making tracks down each of her cheeks as she spoke softly.

"Please someone come talk to me. Please."

But no one came. So Anne sagged against the corner where wall met bars and sobbed. She cried out all the misery and hurt she'd felt these past five years and she cried for herself for the position she was currently in. She cried until she had no tears left and made soft sniffling sounds until she fell into fitful sleep.

She cried for a few days, she assumed later, but this time instead of fresh water appearing and disappearing, meals started to appear whilst she was sleeping. She sobbed as she stuffed the bread into her mouth. She sobbed in relief. Finally! Human contact.

But no one ever appeared to talk to her. Only to deliver food and water; and that only came when she was asleep. She tried to stay awake and wait for them but it was no use. They could out wait her. So she continued to cry each day. She was so afraid of being alone. Especially alone in the dark. She had never admitted this to anyone, not even Dan, but she hated the darkness. She preferred harsh light to no light at all. And now that she couldn't escape the darkness which surrounded her and ruled her life, she felt helpless and hated to be alone. Which was why she had enjoyed Rosemary's company, even when Rosemary aggravated her. With Rosemary, Anne never had to be alone.

Now she was alone and left in the dark.

After another couple days of this treatment she stopped eating and stopped her crying.

Anne sat in her corner and just stared, well not stared really, but she didn't move. For all appearances she was catatonic. She'd given up. What reason was there for her to eat and keep up her strength? So she could sit around all alone?

Anne's thoughts drifted aimlessly through the memories of her life. She constantly hovered between the world of the sleeping and the awake until she couldn't tell which state of being was real or a dream.

She felt as if her world were shaking.

No, wait a minute, _she_ was shaking.

Anne frowned trying to make sense of her shaking world.

"Anne," a voice called from the haze of her dream like world.

She frowned. She must be imagining things.

"Anne," the voice came again guiding her out of her darkness.

She felt her eyes flutter open out of habit.

"Hello?" she asked weakly, her throat parched.

"Ah, splendid. You're awake.-"

Before the voice continued she interrupted it,

"Captain Sparrow?"

"That's my name Lass, don't wear it out," he quipped.

"What are you doing here?" she asked trying to get her bearings.

"I've come to offer you a proposition," he told her.

"A proposition? For what…I mean, why?" she questioned.

"Well Lass you're taking up our resources. You see, the men of my crew work for their food. You, Miss Anne, have been getting rations for free…and wasting them as I can see," he told her, allowing her to draw her own conclusions.

"But…but…I'm your prisoner! How do you expect me to work when you keep me locked up like a dog?!" she asked shrilly.

"Please Lass, there's no need to resort to hysterics," he said soothingly, "As I see it you have two options. Well three really but I don't believe you'll be wanting the third one."

He paused for such a long period of time that Anne felt compelled to speak.

"Well…what are they?" she snapped anxiously.

"The first choice, and possibly the best choice, is that I'm giving you an opportunity to join my crew. And when your debt is paid, or I get tired of you, you will be free to go. The second is that you may stay down in this little cage, my canary, and perhaps receive visitations from the crew. After all…I can't control their urges or keep a sharp eye on them all the time," he paused again before telling her the third choice.

"And the third is that I'll use you for fish bait. What with the choppy sea these days it seems Davy Jones is getting a bit lonely."

Anne opened her mouth, then closed it again, before opening it once more. She started to speak but nothing came out so she snapped her mouth shut again. In the back of her mind it occurred to her that she must look like a fish out of water. At the forefront of her mind was a battle of emotions. She wanted to be outraged at him, but she could not find the energy to summon her rage. She wanted to cry at her misfortunes and beg him to take her to shore, but she had no tears left to cry and quickly she rationalized that her chances of making it on shore were as unpredictable as they were on this ship. At least on this ship she knew slightly who she was dealing with and who was onboard. Anne also had the absurd notion to laugh.

She found it humorous that before this trip she had tried everything in her power to reject Stanley's proposal. None of her plans had worked, even her attempt to leave town had been thwarted. But now, she had gotten exactly what she'd hoped for. She wasn't on her way to marry Stanley, and if she played her cards right she wouldn't have to. Even if Captain Sparrow ended up realizing who her fiancé was and tried to ransom her for money, and even if Stanley actually paid it, she knew he wouldn't marry her. He wanted a virgin, she was certain, and a lady who had been amongst pirates couldn't possibly be virginal.

Anne's mind began to form a plan as she pushed her confusing emotions aside. Mayhap if she worked for the crew and even started getting a part of the plunder she could take her money and run. Then she'd be free of Stanley, of her wretched stepmother, and most importantly this horrid Captain Sparrow.

Though her plan had as many holes as Swiss cheese she gave a theatrical sigh,

"Well, since you have given me three generous options, I shall have to take the lesser of the three evils and join your rotten crew."

She expected a rebuke but instead she got a hearty chuckle,

"Well then Anne Bonnie, welcome aboard the crew of the infamous Black Pearl," he said as he grabbed under her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Charmed, I'm sure," she told him sarcastically as she tried to pull away.

He took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow before walking forward.

"Where are we going?! What do you think you're doing?!" she cried trying to drag her heels to make him stop.

"Well, Lass, the crew doesn't sleep down in the hold and neither shall you. In fact I took the opportunity to set up a dinner in my cabin. I'm certain you're quite hungry. And then we'll get you into bed, your _own _bed, so you can sleep and be all bright for a hard days work," he told her.

"And I don't fancy setting you loose to find your way to my cabins on your own so I figure I'd save you the trouble and help you along," he added as an after thought.

Anne felt her cheeks coloring as she tripped up some steps he'd started up, "You knew I would take your first option!" she accused thinking about his dinner comment.

"How very astute of you, Anne Bonnie. One would almost think that you're intelligent," he said with a wry tone as he pulled her around a corner.

She grumbled a curse at him under her breath and then fell silent as she tried to count the steps she was taking. After running into a few walls and tripping over her own two feet countless number of times, she gave up. She'd just have to make time to get a feel for the layout of the ship.

Just as Anne was about to complain about how long it was taking to reach his cabins Jack came to a halt. She stumbled a bit as she heard him turn a key into a lock and open a door. He ushered her in and Anne soon found herself seated in a comfortable dining table chair.

As Jack moved about humming a merry tune and doing God knows what Anne took a moment to gather information from her senses. The room smelled of cedar, incense, and the dust like an old library with hidden secrets would collect. She also guessed that Jack must be lighting lamps because the smell of burning lantern oil was becoming stronger.

Directly in front of her, she noted with her fingers, was a table that she gathered held a meal of some sort. She thought she might smell rolls and chicken but she wasn't sure. Her stomach didn't care what was on the table as it growled with impatience.

"Well," Jack broke into her thoughts as she heard him take a seat across from her, "Aren't you going to dine?"

"Well if you are as smart as you think you are, you'd tell me where the food is located," she told him haughtily, "After all we wouldn't want me to accidentally stab you with my fork now, would we?"

"Of course, of course. How very rude of me. Directly in front of you is a plate and to the sides are the usual cutlery and a cloth napkin. Above the dish you'll find a basket of rolls with butter located to the right. To the left of the basket there is a plate of chicken and to the right of your plate is your wine glass. Have I covered it all, Miss Anne? Or should you like to know the grain of the wood as well?"

She could imagine a smirk on what she assumed was a twisted face and so she lifted her chin a notch and spoke boredly, "That will do Captain Sparrow."

Anne paused with her hand over her napkin trying to decide which food to go after first.

Jack broke into her thoughts with a badgering comment,

"I suggest you eat all you can, Lass. From now on you'll be dining with the crew, and feeding time tends to become rowdy. Besides, Cooksie whipped up this special meal just for you and I'd hate for him to feel insulted by your lack of appetite."

Anne felt herself sneer at him before digging into the meal heartily. She had a few problems buttering her roll, and at one point she dropped some butter in her lap and spilled her wine glass. Anne felt herself color at the cheeks as these mistakes happened but she refused to ask for help, and Jack didn't bother to offer any aid.

Finally the meal was finished. Anne struggled to cover a yawn but Jack caught it anyways.

"Right-o. It's time for bed. Come along," he said pulling her out of her chair.

He led her a short distance and she heard him open a door. After a moment he pulled her through the doorway.

She was very curious and somewhat wary as to where she was, but almost as if reading her thoughts he explained.

"This is to be your quarters. Tis a little room connected to mine with a door that also leads to the deck outside. You're bed is against the corner on the left with a trunk at the end of it and to the right a bucket for washing as I'm certain you'll want to take that grime off your face. You are to knock if you wish to enter my cabin and you are to wait for me or one of my crewmates to retrieve you in the morning as the door to the outside will be locked. I suggest you get some sleep, Anne, fore tomorrow is going to be a hard day indeed."

And having said that Anne heard a few footsteps and then the door closing behind her.

Anne spent some time feeling around the room to know where everything was. Jack was right. There was hardly anything in the room, which was to be expected, after all it was a pirate ship she was on.

It took her a moment to get comfortable on the straw mattress, but after having slept on hard wood for the past few weeks Anne welcomed the change and immediately feel under Sleep's magical spell only taking a quick moment to spare a thought to what tomorrow might bring. Then she was out like a light.


	6. Getting Dressed

**Blind Fate**

**Chatper**** 6**

**Getting Dressed**

**By Carina**

The next morning Anne barely felt that she'd fallen asleep before there was a pounding on the door that led to Sparrow's room.

"Oh Miss Annnneeee…Tis time to rise and shine, fore the day is early!" she heard Captain Sparrow's voice taunt her from the other side of the door.

Groaning and trying to clear the grogginess from her mind, Anne sat up and cleared her throat.

"Come in Captain Sparrow," she spoke curtly.

As always there was a light tinkling sound that accompanied Jack as he stepped into Anne's room.

Lifting her chin haughtily she asked, "What am I to do Captain Sparrow?"

"Now, now, not so fast lass. I'm glad you're anxious to get to work, but there's a more important matter at hand right now," he drawled.

Anne gave an impatient sigh as she wondered what sort of stipulation Sparrow had thought up now, "Oh? And what would that be?"

"It's up to you really, but I was only trying to do you a favor. After all, do you really wish to work in your night dress?" he queried, "Your _very _torn, _very_ revealing, night dress?" he added with what Anne was certain was a smirk.

Anne felt her face flush. He was right. She hated that he was right.

Through tight pressed lips she spoke, "And what do you _suggest_ I wear, Captain Sparrow?"

"Funny thing you ask lass, cause I just so happened to scrounge up some garb for your little self. Do you need my assistance in dressing?" he asked, his voice irritatingly smooth.

"No!" she snapped, "I can dress myself, thank you very much. Just leave the clothes on the edge of the bed."

"As you wish, Lass," he chuckled before he placed the clothes on the bed.

Anne waited until she heard him walk through the door and pull it closed after him, before she felt to the end of the bed searching for the clothes he spoke of. Her hands touched course fabric and she assumed she'd found them.

_I wonder what the Captain picked out for me_, she thought idly as she tried to separate the clothing.

After a few moments she had what felt like men's trousers in her hands.

_I can do this,_ she told herself. Never mind the fact that Anne hadn't dressed herself in five years.

With only a bit of trouble Anne managed to wiggle herself out of her nightdress. Well…perhaps more than a bit of trouble. First Anne tried to lift the gown over her head, but she'd forgotten the corset tie in the back, of which she tried to reach next and failed miserably. Finally, in exasperation, she took the ragged fabric and ripped the gown off in parts.

Now fully naked (except for her bottom skivvies) she quickly proceeded to put on the trousers. Thankfully those were easy, and except for Anne trying to put both her legs in one pant leg, she got them up and tied the drawstring in only a matter of minutes!

She examined the remaining cloth pieces with her fingertips. There were three left. One was obviously the shirt she was to wear, and she supposed the second was her upper undergarment, but the third puzzled her.

Quickly she tied the breast band around her torso as best she could. The cloth ended up being a bit loose, but there was nothing she could do about it, and she certainly couldn't ask anyone for help.

Sighing she yanked the canvas shirt over her head only to get her head stuck in an arm hole. Anne growled in frustration as she put an arm in the shirt trying to get things in order. She only managed to get herself tangled up as she pulled and tugged in an attempt to rid herself of the dastardly fabric.

_This is ridiculous!_ She fumed silently.

_I'm twenty five years old! I should be able to dress myself!_

But the sad fact was she couldn't. Having spent five years in the dark her fingers and arms seemed to have forgotten just how to put on clothing. Tears of frustration gathered in her eyes as she stumbled, stubbing her toe on the bed.

"Ow!" she cried trying to hop and grab her toe with her free hand. Her hopping caused her breast band to slip to her waist and she tried to detangle her other arm to grab it. Instead she ended up pitching forward and hitting the floor with a thud.

"Ahh!" she screamed angrily, smacking the wooden floorboard with her palm, cursing whatever force had brought such horrid luck upon her.

"Well, well….what a sight we make early in the morn," said the mocking, laughing tone that reached her ears, "If I had known you weren't partial to your garments and prone to temper tantrums I would have picked out some different clothes that suited your tastes."

"Get out!" Anne shouted at Captain Sparrow.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Lass," he told her as his voice came nearer, "See, you're wasting valuable time that could be spent working," his voice was closer as he bent down and placed his hands on her shoulders, "and instead you are dilly dallying in getting dressed," he gave her a quick yank that had her on her feet at once, "I swear, you women cause us men to age whilst you always ready and freshen yourselves up," and without warning he shucked her shirt over her head.

Anne immediately crossed her arms over her exposed chest and opened her mouth to lay into him, but before she could Captain Sparrow clapped a calloused hand over her mouth and snaked an arm around her waist pulling her against him. His warm breath tickled her ear as he spoke in a low voice.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You need to be dressed and obviously aren't capable of doing so yourself. So I suggest you be quiet and don't try to fight me."

"Besides," he added in a sultry tone, "There's not much to see."

Anne tried to bite him, but alas Sparrow had sensed this and moved his fingers to grip her jaw at the hinge so that her mouth stayed open.

"Now, Lass," he said in a voice that was such an odd mix of merriness and ice that it sent shivers down her spine, "I have been very tolerant of your behavior up until now. You _will_ behave or I _will_ throw you back into the brig."

His tone left no room for argument and her captivity was still fresh in her memory, so with a belligerent sigh she uncrossed her arms, settling for clenching her hands into fists at her sides.

He brought his lips close to her cheek as if to kiss it, so close that she could almost feel the moistness of them upon her skin, "A wise choice, m'dear."

Captain Sparrow then slid his hands down her arms causing goose bumps to ripple across her skin. Taking his sweet time he untied her breast band and then moved his hands up the inside of her arms to retie it around her breasts.

Anne couldn't stop the heat that she felt rising to her cheeks, especially when he told her to raise her arms so he could slide the shirt over her head which allowed him the opportunity to run his fingertips along her skin from her ribs to her waist, also causing her to shiver at his caressing touch.

She wasn't certain whether the blush she felt was due to modest embarrassment or a man's touch after five long years, she hoped it was the former, but either way she knew that Sparrow was intimidating her on purpose. Unfortunately it was working.

_Damn him!_ She cursed silently.

Suddenly she felt some soft material cover her eyes.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing!" she cried indignantly.

"Covering your eyes of course. Wouldn't want you to scare the crew."

Anne let out a squawk of anger. This was even more violating than Sparrow having to dress her! If a _pirate_ crew couldn't handle the sight of her, than who could?

_Apparently no one, _she thought bitterly, _he didn't have to make it obvious though. _

Sensing Anne was about to argue with him, Captain Sparrow swung an arm around her shoulders and guided her from her room into his own quarters, "Worry not, Faire Maiden, the fabric matches your eyes, so we'll not forget your damning look," he told her cheerily as he led her through his cabin.

She said nothing, but instead clenched her jaw as she fought against the few tears that slipped out of her eyes and were immediately soaked up by her blind fold. She refused to let the pirate scum see her cry, especially over something as petty as insulting her looks.

"Ready for your first hard day's work," he asked as they reached the door to the deck.

Taking a composed breath she cleared her throat and replied wryly, "I was born ready."

**A/N: Eeek! I know it's been a long time, and I wanted to make this chapter longer, but then it would have taken even more time to post. So hopefully I'll have the next chapter up and going in the next few weeks. Yeah, hope you enjoy!**


End file.
